Balls

Today is D-Day. On June 6, 1944, the Allies stormed the beaches at Normandy, beginning the liberation of Europe.

The Allies suffered somewhere around 10,000 casualties on D-Day, including about 2500 killed (from http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/faq.htm).

I wonder -- did the American "news" media (and the rest of the world media, for that matter) keep a record of the number of casualties each day in the news during WWII?

Did they recognize "liberation" when they saw it, or had they already begun to question the ethics of "occupation"?

How would America handle 10,000 casualties in Iraq and/or Afghanistan today? Do we still have the stomach for it? How would the American "news" media present it? How would the BBC? Or NPR?

Given the comparison, modern war is sterile. Nevertheless, Americans still go into battle - into the hellstorm of enemy bullets, grenades - or IEDs - with no hesitiation. It's still war. People still die. It's still ugly. Calling it "bravery" is probably an insulting understatement, especially coming from the keyboard of some college-educated snot like me who has never before seen combat.

In time, will we still honor our soldiers' sacrifices? Are we still capable of recognizing liberation when we see it? Or has it become too easy to sneer in our short-sighted sarcasm along with Jon Stewart? Are we still capable of putting casualties into context? Are we encouraged - in any way, shape, or form - to do so by the "news" media?

Would - could - America have won World War II if it were fought today? Do we still have the balls?